The first cohort of structured Master’s students in the Department of Performing Arts (DPA) in 2024 have all enthusiastically embraced their two first-year modules. One of these modules is Embodied Technologies, which requires students to conceptualise and manage a project that involves a technology as a composite performer.
This is intended to be a collaborative project where the artefact is a digital video recording that is curated into an online exhibition of the works.
All the students collaborated with a variety of other creatives and discipline specialists.
Primarily, all collaborated with the Department of Visual Communication students to document and edit their works, whilst other role-players included undergraduate Performing Arts performers (musicians, dancers and actors) and technicians (costume, lighting and sound).
Other collaborators included the technology as performers and their owners/creators – such as the use of the TUT Department of Biomedical Sciences’ skeleton; and an extensive project collab between the Departments Architecture and Industrial Design, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment) and Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics, Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences (Faculty of Science) to design and build a functional counterweight performance device.
The projects ranged from capturing the sounds made by an induku (a Zulu word that translates to stick or staff) to reveal emotions; an immersive light and sound display as a healing multisensory experience; stop motion and digital storytelling; “into-self” an inside out perspective on identity where the skeleton dances; and exploring the weighty issue of diverse body types by rendering them appear weightless on the counterweight device.
This module has stretched the students to think beyond their usual creative processes, encouraging collaboration and exploration with technologies.
Students are excited by their results and some are keen to further explore these modes and practices – and devices – in their discipline advancement research projects they will be embarking on next year.
An immersive sound and light experience by Nasiphi Magaba (DPA structured Master’s student) created in collaboration with Technical Theatre and Design students.
Thuto Mothibi, a third-year Dance student, in Lebo Lebethe’s performance with the counterweight device created in collaboration with the Departments of Architecture and Industrial Design, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences (Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics).
TUT Motion Picture Production students digitally captured the counterweight device in action.
Lebogang Lebethe, DPA structured Master’s student, flanked by Paulani Hunt, Lecturer in Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics, Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences (Faculty of Science) and Kyle Brand, lecturer in Industrial Design, Department of Architecture and Industrial Design (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment).
A prosthetics mould of the harness for the dancers.
Mpho Abe Mogadima, a student assistant at the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, with Paulani Hunt, Lecturer in Medical Orthotics and Prosthetics, Department of Sport, Rehabilitation and Dental Sciences.
An image created for the piece Induku by Simo Mdletshe, a DPA structured Master’s student.
Sibonelo Mchunu, a DPA structured Master’s student, performing with the skeleton borrowed from the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the piece into self he choreographed including dance students.
Third-year Theatre Arts and Performance student, Nompumelelo Maphalala, in the piece conceptualised by Tshepang Tshabadira, a DPA structured Master’s student.